OUR
HEALTHCARE PRACTICES
HEALTHCARE PRACTICES
THE SIMPLY RED LINE
Rocky Mountain LUXE Puff Poodles are HEALTHY, HAPPY AND B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.
We purchased all of our now breeding adults from professional, ethical and long established AKC Registered Standard Poodle breeders - all of whom who bred the "Simply Red" line.
As a Standard Poodle owner and as a breeder, we now benefit from and build upon all of the hard work and effort by all of the breeders that came before us. They worked very hard and spent many, many years establishing these beautiful lines of Standard Poodles.
Rocky Mountain LUXE Puff Poodles continues the work of all of the ROYAL Standard Poodle breeders before us, with our own Rocky Mountain LUXE Puff Poodle line, through our Royal Standard Poodle breeding adults all of whom carry genetics for exceptional size.
We purchased all of our now breeding adults from professional, ethical and long established AKC Registered Standard Poodle breeders - all of whom who bred the "Simply Red" line.
As a Standard Poodle owner and as a breeder, we now benefit from and build upon all of the hard work and effort by all of the breeders that came before us. They worked very hard and spent many, many years establishing these beautiful lines of Standard Poodles.
Rocky Mountain LUXE Puff Poodles continues the work of all of the ROYAL Standard Poodle breeders before us, with our own Rocky Mountain LUXE Puff Poodle line, through our Royal Standard Poodle breeding adults all of whom carry genetics for exceptional size.
WE TAKE HEALTHCARE SERIOUSLY
All of our Breeding Dogs have been Genetically Tested and are clear for Von Willebrand DiseaseType 1 ( vWF1), Neonatal Encephalopathy, Degenerative Myelopathy, and Progressive Retinal Atrophy - Progressive Rod Cone Degeneration (PRA-PRCD), we guarantee EVERY LUXE Puff Puppy that we sell with a health guarantee against being affected by these genetic diseases. Please see our contract for details on our health guarantee.
Your LUXE Puff Puppy comes with their health records documenting their first two sets of "Nobivac" Distemper and Parvo MLV vaccination, regularly administered de-worming medications and at least one veterinary health check - which they receive before they go home with you.
We follow DR. DODDS
VACCINATION PROTOCOL
for the SAFETY
and life long HEALTH
of your LUXE Puff Puppy
VACCINATION PROTOCOL
for the SAFETY
and life long HEALTH
of your LUXE Puff Puppy
We recognize a direct correlation between the epidemic cancer and autoimmune disease rates in Dogs - and the over vaccination of Dogs and Puppies!
Food allergies, skin conditions, epilepsy, autoimmune diseases, including Addisons, and cancer - have ALL been correlated to over vaccinating Dogs and Puppies.
Veterinarians, just like doctors, are financially incentivized to have all of their patients "fully vaccinated."
As a breeder we do OUR VERY BEST to make sure your PUPPY lives a long healthy and happy life. That includes the contractual mandates we set regarding your vaccination of our puppies.
Food allergies, skin conditions, epilepsy, autoimmune diseases, including Addisons, and cancer - have ALL been correlated to over vaccinating Dogs and Puppies.
Veterinarians, just like doctors, are financially incentivized to have all of their patients "fully vaccinated."
As a breeder we do OUR VERY BEST to make sure your PUPPY lives a long healthy and happy life. That includes the contractual mandates we set regarding your vaccination of our puppies.
*** If you purchase one of our puppies, please note that OUR CONTRACT PROHIBITS YOU from vaccinating your dog with anything other than Distemper, Parvo, Bordetella and Rabies.***
We believe that by feeding our dogs a NON GMO DIET, coupled with following Dr. Dodd's MINIMAL vaccination protocol, we are doing the very best we can for ALL of our LUXE Puff Puppies (and their new families.)
Further, we believe that this MINIMAL vaccination protocol sets them up for their very best chance to have very long, happy, and HEALTHY - lives.
All of our LUXE Puff Puppies receive two "Nobivac" Thimerasol free (mercury free) Distemper / Parvo MLV (Modified Live Virus) Vaccinations at 6 and 8 weeks of age.
We recommend that our customers have their Puppy's third vaccination three weeks later when they are 11 weeks of age (as "some Puppies" lose immunity after 3 weeks from the early vaccinations.)
We firmly recommend that the most important vaccination - the 4th booster - be done AT or AFTER the Puppy is 16 weeks of age. This is the very critical age when the Puppy is finally old enough to develop the mind / body connection (at that particular time of 14 weeks of age) to ensure they automatically produce antibodies for the rest of their lives - if and when - they come in contact with these viruses.
WE HAVE
ETHICAL AND HUMANE
BREEDING PRACTICES
ETHICAL AND HUMANE
BREEDING PRACTICES
Rocky Mountain LUXE Puff Poodles is a professional breeder and we adhere to ethical breeding practices. We are not a backyard breeder or a puppy mill. Our breeding program is not a hobby. Our Dogs and Puppies do not live separate from us in kennels, and they are not contained to small dog runs.
Our Dogs and our Puppies are our family and they live in our home with us. Our Dogs and Puppies are loved all day every day. We care for our LUXE Puff Puppies and Dogs - full time - 24 hours a day. Our Puppies and Dogs are the main focus of our day to day life - every single day. EVERY DECISION we make is made in regards to HOW IT WILL EFFECT OUR DOGS AND PUPPIES and what is BEST FOR THEM.
Because our Dogs and Puppies live in our home with us, we are constantly potty training our Puppies, and they are crate trained at night. And although we cannot promise you a 100% potty trained Puppy, we can promise you that all of our our Puppies are well loved, and are ready (not only for you) but they are ready for your home environment as your Puppy is crate trained at night and because of that your Puppy's potty training is all but done.
Our Dogs and our Puppies are our family and they live in our home with us. Our Dogs and Puppies are loved all day every day. We care for our LUXE Puff Puppies and Dogs - full time - 24 hours a day. Our Puppies and Dogs are the main focus of our day to day life - every single day. EVERY DECISION we make is made in regards to HOW IT WILL EFFECT OUR DOGS AND PUPPIES and what is BEST FOR THEM.
Because our Dogs and Puppies live in our home with us, we are constantly potty training our Puppies, and they are crate trained at night. And although we cannot promise you a 100% potty trained Puppy, we can promise you that all of our our Puppies are well loved, and are ready (not only for you) but they are ready for your home environment as your Puppy is crate trained at night and because of that your Puppy's potty training is all but done.
OUR SPAY & NEUTER
PROTOCOLS
HELP TO ENSURE
THE LONG TERM HEALTH
OF YOUR PUPPY
PROTOCOLS
HELP TO ENSURE
THE LONG TERM HEALTH
OF YOUR PUPPY
Our contract specifies that our customers must wait until your puppy has reached 18 months of age to spay or neuter - and that the procedure must be completed between 24 and 25 months of age.
This contractual mandate is in the best interest of the dog and closely follows the guidelines set in the ten year study (see below) of the effects of early spay or neuter - regarding cancer and dysplasia - in 35 different breeds of dogs.
This contractual mandate is in the best interest of the dog and closely follows the guidelines set in the ten year study (see below) of the effects of early spay or neuter - regarding cancer and dysplasia - in 35 different breeds of dogs.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Front. Vet. Sci., 07 July 2020 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.00388
Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering
for 35 Breeds of Dogs:
Associated Joint Disorders, Cancers, and Urinary Incontinence
Benjamin L. Hart1*, Lynette A. Hart2, Abigail P. Thigpen2 and Neil H. Willits3
- 1 Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Cell Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- 2 Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- 3 Department of Statistics, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
Introduction
In the U.S. and much of Europe, the practice of neutering male and spaying female dogs (herein both referred to as neutering) has become routine (1) and is increasingly being performed at, or before, 6 months of age. At the same time, several investigations have revealed that joint disorders and some cancers may increase in association with neutering of males and/or females. For example, in studies that did not focus on specific breeds or ages of neutering, one found that hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament tears or ruptures were significantly more likely in neutered than intact males and females (2). Another study found that neutering was associated with a 3-fold increase in excessive tibial plateau angle (3), which is a risk factor for development of cranial cruciate ligament tears or rupture. Neutering is reported to be a risk factor for canine intervertebral disc herniation in Dachshunds (4). Certain cancers are also known to be more likely in neutered than intact dogs. The occurrence of lymphoma was found to be higher in spayed than intact females (5), as was the occurrence of mast cell tumors (6) and hemangiosarcoma (7). A study of over 40,000 dogs utilizing the Veterinary Medical Database found that neutered males and females were more likely to die of cancer than intact dogs (8). A recent finding was that the absence of estrogen from spaying females was associated with accelerated brain aging (9). Another recent report from the Golden Retriever Lifetime Project is that neutering at <6 months increases the risk of cranial cruciate ligament injury (10). Most of the studies cited above offer no useful clinical information or guidelines with regard to the various diseases that may occur in association with neutering in a specific breed.
In an attempt to address the absence of breed-specific information on joint disorders and cancers associated with neutering, we undertook a project focusing on various specific breeds using data collection and analyses with our extensive veterinary hospital database where the same diagnostic criteria could be applied to all breeds. We started with popular breeds well-represented in the database, initially with the Golden Retriever (11, 12), Labrador Retriever (12) and German Shepherd Dog (13). The joint disorders examined included cranial cruciate ligament tears or rupture (CCL), hip dysplasia (HD) and elbow dysplasia (ED). The cancers examined, which previous studies found could be affected by neutering, were lymphoma/lymphosarcoma (LSA), hemangiosarcoma (HSA), mast cell tumors (MCT), and osteosarcoma (OSA).
In the Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and German Shepherd Dogs, there was an increase in the incidence of one or more of the joint disorders with neutering in the first year in males and females to 2–4 times >3–5% incidence in intact dogs. In female Golden Retrievers, neutering at any age was associated with an occurrence of one or more of the cancers followed to 2–4 times higher than the 5 percent incidence in intact females. But in male Golden Retrievers, and in male and female Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherd Dogs, there was no evident increase in cancers above that of the dogs left intact. Preliminary analyses from some small-dog breeds revealed no apparent increased risks of joint disorders with neutering. Thus, the research that had been undertaken revealed a wide range of breed-specific differences in disease vulnerability to neutering.
The purpose of this study was to analyze, in a variety of additional breeds, the increased risks, if any, of the above specified joint disorders and cancers associated with neutering male and female dogs at various ages, so as to increase the information available to pet owners and veterinarians for consideration when making decisions regarding neutering specific dogs. We added 29 new breeds to the study, separating three varieties of Poodles, for a total of 32 breed groups (referred to as breeds); this made a total of 35 breeds with the Goldens, Labs and German Shepherds included. The goal was to use the same veterinary hospital database and diagnostic criteria for the diseases as was used with the published studies on the retrievers and German Shepherds so as to allow for direct comparisons among various breeds. The primary purpose was to offer readers some evidence-based information on breed-specific differences with vulnerability to neutering, including suggested guidelines for neutering ages to avoid increasing long-term health risks of neutering, if any. A secondary, unforeseen, purpose was to document breed-specific differences in the increases in some cancers associated with removal of gonadal hormones, as an area for possible research on genetic aspects of cancer occurrence.
Methods
Ethics Statement
Hospital records of the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) provided the retrospective dataset used. In conformity with the campus policy, faculty of the University of California-Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, are allowed use of the record system for research purposes. No animal care and use committee approval was required, and strict confidentiality of the owners and their dogs was maintained.
Subjects Breed Categories
In addition to the Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, and German Shepherd Dog, the other breeds chosen for this project included those most frequently occurring in the database and those chosen to obtain a sampling of giant breeds or small-dog breeds. The final list of 35 (including three varieties of Poodle) represented in the present study are, alphabetically, the: Australian Cattle Dog, Australian Shepherd, Beagle, Bernese Mountain Dog, Border Collie, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Bulldog, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Cocker Spaniel, Collie, Corgi (Pembroke and Cardigan combined), Dachshund, Doberman Pinscher, English Springer Spaniel, German Shepherd Dog, Golden Retriever, Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, Jack Russell Terrier, Labrador Retriever, Maltese, Miniature Schnauzer, Pomeranian, Poodle-Miniature, Poodle-Standard, Poodle-Toy, Pug, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard, Shetland Sheepdog, Shih Tzu, West Highland White Terrier, and Yorkshire Terrier.
Study Parameters
The present study examined the occurrence in both sexes of the joint disorders: HD, CCL and ED. Also examined in both sexes were the cancers LSA, HSA, MCT, and OSA, because these had been shown in some multi-breed studies to be increased in risks with neutering. In addition, mammary cancer (MC), pyometra (PYO), and urinary incontinence (UI) were examined in female dogs. Of interest was the possible association of early neutering and the occurrence of intervertebral disc disorders (IDD) in the Corgi and Dachshund, two breeds known to be at risk for these diseases. All of the above diseases were examined with regard to dogs neutered in one of the age periods of: <6 mo., 6–11 mo., 1 year (12 to <24 mo.) or 2–8 years, or left intact. The diseases were tracked until the dogs were last seen at the hospital, or through 11 years of age, if seen past their 12th birthday.
Mammary cancer is a late occurring cancer with the median age of diagnosis being 10.1 years in one study (14). Tracking cancers through 11 years of age would be presumably sufficient to catch most cases of MC if the case record had information extending to that age. However, most case records did not extend to that age. As an additional point of comparison, percentages of MC occurrence were looked at in just females tracked through 8 years of age or beyond, including diagnosed MC cases beyond the 12th birthday cut-off, which was the cut-off used for all other data.
Data Collection and Presentation
The computerized hospital record system of the VMTH provided the dataset. The hospital, with currently over 50,000 cases admitted per year, is a secondary and tertiary facility as well as being a primary care facility. The statistical evaluations, with standardized diagnostic criteria applied to various diseases and taking into account sex and different ages of neutering, required a large database with a computerized record system. The study focused on proportional differences in disease occurrences between the neuter age groups and intact dogs of the same breed and sex.
The study period represented 15 years of data for most breeds. The inclusion criteria were date of birth, age at neutering (if neutered), and age of diagnosis or onset of clinical signs for diseases of interest. As mentioned, age at neutering was designated as <6 mo., 6–11 mo., 1 year (12 to <24 mo.), and 2–8 years (2 to <9 years). The term “early neutering” is sometimes used below to refer to neutering in the first year, combining cases for both the <6 mo. and 6–11 mo. neuter periods. For MC, PYO, and UI, only females were examined. While UI does occur in males, it is predominantly an issue in females.
For all neutered dogs that developed a disease of interest, records were examined to confirm that the dog was neutered prior to the diagnosis or signs of the disease. If the dog developed signs of the disease prior to neutering, the dog was considered intact for analysis of that disease. However, for any disease that occurred after neutering, the dog was considered neutered for analysis of that disease. For any disease of interest that occurred before 12 months of age, the dog was removed from that disease analysis, but included in analyses of other diseases. Therefore, the number of cases for various diseases varied in the analyses for different disease occurrences.
The age at neutering was sometimes not included in the hospital records, so telephone calls to the referring veterinarians were made to obtain the neutering dates or ages. Nonetheless, there were many neutered dogs where age at neutering was not available from the VMTH records or the referring veterinarian, so these dogs were excluded from the study. Of course, this was not an issue with the sample of intact dogs, so there were proportionately more intact cases in the final dataset for each breed than would be expected in the general population. However, the proportion of dogs with a disease, whether intact or neutered, was not affected by the overrepresentation of intact dogs in the database.
The criteria for disease diagnoses were the same as in previous studies on the retrievers and German Shepherd Dog (11–13). A dog was considered as having a disease of interest if the diagnosis was made at the VMTH, or by a referring veterinarian and later confirmed at the VMTH. For joint disorders (HD, ED, and/or CCL), dogs typically presented with signs of lameness, difficulty in moving, and/or joint pain. The diagnosis was confirmed by orthopedic examination, radiographic evidence, and/or surgery. In Dachshunds and Corgis, where intervertebral disc disorders (IDD) is a concern, the diagnosis included herniation, rupture, extrusion, protrusion, fracture, compression, stenosis, or spinal cord injury. For cancers (LSA, HSA, MCT, OSA, MC), the diagnosis was based on the presence of a tissue mass, lumps on the skin or enlarged lymph nodes, and confirmed by chemical panels, appropriate blood cell analyses, imaging, histopathology, and/or cytology. PYO was confirmed by ultrasonic evidence and/or post-surgically after removal of the uterus. UI was confirmed by clinical signs of abnormally frequent urination, urinalyses and exclusion of urinary tract infection and/or other disease. If a diagnosis was listed in the record as “suspected” based on some clinical signs but not confirmed, the case was excluded from the analysis for that specific disease, but the dog was included in other disease analyses.
Although body condition scores have been reported to be a factor in the occurrence of joint disorders (3, 15), our previous studies on the retrievers and German Shepherd Dog found no significant relationship when body condition scores were compared between dogs with and without a joint disorder. Therefore, in the current paper the body condition score is not reported for each breed.
Statistical AnalysesSurvival analysis was used to test for differences with respect to the hazard of a disease in the neutered and intact groups, while adjusting for the differences in time at risk for a disease. The groups were initially compared using a Kaplan Meier life table analysis. Post-hoc comparisons among the subgroups were based on least squares means of the hazard within each subgroup. For comparisons where the Kaplan Meier test showed significance at the p <0.05 level, both the log-rank and Wilcoxon tests were used for further analyses.
Because joint disorders are expected to be seen at a similar risk throughout a dog's lifespan, regardless of age, the log-rank test was used initially for the joint disorders. If the log-rank test did not show significance but the Wilcoxon test did for joint disorders, the Wilcoxon test result was reported with significance level and an asterisk. The reverse rule of thumb was used with cancers where the first test examined was the Wilcoxon test, since the risk of cancer is expected to be higher in older dogs. If the Wilcoxon test did not show significance but the log-rank test did for cancers, the log-rank test result was reported with significance level and an asterisk. For all statistical tests, the two-tailed statistical level of significance was set at p <0.05 and reported as either p < .05 or p <0.01. Each breed was analyzed separately, and there were no statistical comparisons between breeds. However, the overall findings with each breed allow for some general comparisons.
Data Presentation
For each breed represented on a separate page in Appendix 1, the numbers of intact and neutered males and females are given. In the tables, the percentage of dogs with each of the diseases and the percentage having at least one of the joint disorders and at least one of the cancers (except MC) was calculated for intact males and intact females as well as those neutered at various age ranges. Statistical analyses compared the occurrences of joint disorders and cancers between each neuter period and intact dogs. If the comparison was significant at either the p <0.05 or p <0.01 level, the data were bolded and the p-value was given. The detailed datasets are available online (Figshare, doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7231010). Three breeds for which findings have been previously published (Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd Dog) are included to present an overall picture in the same Appendix 1. The data for these three breeds were expanded through 11 years of age, to provide continuity among breeds and diseases.
For each breed, a short paragraph summarizes the main findings on joint disorders (HD, CCL, ED), cancers (LSA, HSA, MCT, OSA) for both males and females, and MC, PYO and UI for females. For Dachshunds and Corgis, the occurrence of IDD is listed for both sexes. Survival analyses were not done on IDD occurrence because the condition represented so many different disease diagnoses. Also included in the breed summary information is a suggested guideline for neutering age for males and females to avoid increasing the risks of a disease under consideration. When there was no noticeable occurrence of an increase in joint disorders or cancers with neutering, the guideline statement was made that those wishing to neuter should decide on the appropriate age (or briefly stated as choice in Table 1). When neutering at <6 months was associated with an increased disease risk but no increased risk was evident with neutering beyond 6 months, the default recommended guideline was neutering beyond, 6 months.
TABLE 1
Table 1. Suggested Guidelines by Breed for Age of Neutering.
Results
The breed-by-breed findings are presented in four different formats. One format, seen in this section below, is a short paragraph for each breed. The occurrence of the joint disorders and the cancers followed is reported for the intact and neutered dogs, and the increase in the two disease types over that of the intact dogs, if significant, is reported. Other findings are also mentioned if appropriate, such as IDD occurrence in Dachshunds and Corgis. A second format, represented in Table 1, is a very brief summary of spaying and neutering guidelines based on findings regarding joint disorders and cancers for each breed, allowing the reader to quickly scroll through the various breeds. In the third format, the data-based findings, with statistical notations for each breed, are reported in Appendix 1. In the fourth format, the raw data allowing the reader to perform their own calculations, if desirable, is available in Figshare.
The mean age of last entry was calculated for intact and neutered males and females for each breed and presented in Appendix 2. Across all breeds the mean age of last entry in the record for neutered males was 5.5 years (range 3.71–6.54), for neutered females 5.7 years (range 4.21–6.97), for intact males 4.9 (range 4.15–7.11), and intact females 4.7 (range 3.41–6.32). Upon perusal of the data, it is evident that the mean age of data entry for intact dogs was younger than that of neutered dogs, especially for females, where there is disparity of almost 1 year. To address the issue of whether the lower age of last entry for intact dogs could have resulted in a lower rate of disease occurrence in intact dogs in either joint disorders or cancers, we examined data of dogs where the last entry was at 8 years or beyond. We looked at three breeds with the largest databases (Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and German Shepherd Dogs) and where there were significant differences in disease diagnoses between early neutered and intact dogs. Using these parameters, the occurrences of joint disorders in Golden Retrievers for those neutered at ≤ 6mo. vs. intact, in males, there was a 6-fold difference (18% vs. 3%) and in females 3-fold (25 vs. 8%). For male Labrador Retrievers, the figures were 22 vs. 8% and in females 33 vs. 10%. For male German Shepherd Dogs, the figures were 33 vs. 2% and for females, 29 vs. 9%. For cancers in female Goldens, the figures were 26 vs. 14%. The incidence figures, although not sufficient for meaningful statistical analyses, are consistent with the larger database where all ages are included. Thus, while the age of the last visit is a limitation for analyses on late-occurring cancers and joint disorders, the examples chosen for dogs seen at the age of 8 years or beyond are consistent with the overall results presented here; these results appear to represent what would be seen in the general situation.
General Findings
Looking at the occurrences of these joint disorders and cancers, it is clear that most breeds are unaffected for these diseases by age of neutering. Vulnerability to joint disorders associated with neutering is generally related to body size. Small-dog breeds – Boston Terrier, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Corgi, Dachshund, Maltese, Pomeranian, Poodle-Toy, Pug, Shih Tzu, Yorkshire Terrier – do not appear to have an increased risk in joint disorders with neutering compared to the breeds of larger size. However, in the breeds of larger body size there were differences among the breeds with the two giant breeds – Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds – showing no indication of increase in one or more joint disorders with neutering at any age.
Although the occurrence of MC was tracked, the female mean age at the last hospital visit for all breeds ended short of the reported, late-onset mean age of MC occurrence in intact female dogs. Thus, the low occurrence of MC in intact females (typically under 6 percent) cannot be expected to represent the actual incidence over a female's lifetime. When the percentage of MC was calculated for only those dogs seen through 8 years of age or older (including cases diagnosed past the 12th birthday), the results did not appear appreciably different than the percentages seen using the study age range. However, the number of dogs seen through age 8 or beyond was fairly small, so the analysis results might change with an increased sample size of these older dogs.
The following are brief summaries for each of the breeds along with suggested guidelines for age of neutering. See Appendix 1 for the complete data set, including statistical analyses for each breed.
...
Poodle, Standard
The study population was 47 intact males, 88 neutered males, 53 intact females, and 87 spayed females for a total sample of 275 cases. The AKC registers the Toy and Miniature, along with the Standard Poodle, as all being Poodles. However, because of differences in size, the varieties of Poodles are dealt with separately here. There was a 2 percent occurrence of joint disorders in both intact males and females. In males neutered at <6 mo., there was a non-significant increase to 8 percent, and in spayed females, there was no occurrence of joint disorders. The occurrences of cancers in intact males and females were 4 and 2 percent, respectively. In males neutered at 1 year of age, the occurrence of one or more cancers rose to a significant 27 percent (p <0.01), all due to the increased risk of LSA. In females, there was no significant increase in cancers with spaying. There was a 4 percent occurrence of MC, and a 2 percent occurrence of PYO in the females left intact. Just one female spayed beyond 2 years later developed UI. The suggested guideline for males, based on the occurrence of one or more cancers with neutering at 1 year, is to delay neutering until 2 years of age. Lacking a noticeable occurrence of increased joint disorders or cancers in neutered females, those wishing to neuter should decide on the appropriate age.
...
Discussion
Since the reporting from this center of increased risks of joint disorders and some cancers in Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and German Shepherd Dogs (11–13), the appropriate age of neutering has become a common point of discussion (16–18). With the evidence-based information on the risks, if any, of joint disorders, cancers, PYO and UI associated with neutering at different ages for males and females of various as dog breeds, dog owners, and their veterinarians, can use this information to select an age for neutering for the long-term health of their companion dogs on a case-by-case basis.
The overall major finding from the present study is that there are breed differences – and sometimes sex differences – with regard to the increased risks of joint disorders and cancers associated with neutering at various ages. For example, with the Boston Terrier, neutering females at the standard 6 month age did not increase the risks of joint disorders or cancers over that of dogs left intact, but with males, neutering before a year of age was associated with a significant increase in cancers. The opposite effect with genders was seen in the Cocker Spaniel where neutering at 6 months was not associated with an increase in joint disorders or cancers in males, but in females there was a significant increase in risk of cancers to 17 percent with neutering before 2 years.
Another important finding that holds across several breeds is that with the small-dog breeds – Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Corgi, Dachshund, Maltese, Pomeranian, Poodle-Toy, Pug, Shih Tzu, Yorkshire Terrier –the occurrences of joint disorders were close to zero in both the intact and neutered males and females. In these small-dog breeds, the occurrence of cancers was low in both those kept intact and neutered. Two exceptions were the Boston Terrier and Shih Tzu where there was there a significant increase in cancers with neutering.
As noted in the results section, the mean date of last entry per patient in the hospital record ranged from about 4.5 to 5.5 years, which means the data especially represent rather early-occurring joint disorders and cancers. The perspective taken here is that it is the early occurring joint disorders and cancers that are the most impactful on the human caregivers, both emotionally and financially, as well as their dogs. To just delay neutering by a year or so to lower the risk of a joint disorder or cancer in those breeds where the issue is relevant, is a noteworthy goal, making it worthwhile to discuss appropriate ages to neuter with caregivers who have a new puppy.
A suggested guideline for the use of the data presented here for those who may wish to focus on a breed or two, is to first scroll through Table 1 to peruse the breeds for a brief look at the neutering guidelines for the breeds of interest. The next step could be to refer to summary paragraphs in the Results section, which present the major findings with a suggested guideline for neutering age. Then for a third step, one could turn to Appendix 1 for detailed joint disorder and cancer tabular data as well as data on MC, PYO, and UI. Our intention is to offer readers data-based information to make case-by-case decisions about age of neutering. As is clearly evident in the breed-specific data presented, one cannot make a generalization for all dogs about age of neutering guidelines.
As mentioned, this study involved 35 breeds, counting the three varieties of Poodles as three breeds. Thus, most breeds registered by AKC or other comparable agencies were not covered. The breeds chosen were the most popular, and with the largest dataset in our records, or were included to sample the largest range of breed sizes as was feasible. Hence, some of the largest breeds (e.g., Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound) and smallest breeds (Miniature Schnauzer, West Highland White Terrier) were included despite lower numbers of patient records. While with some of the most popular breeds there were over 1,000 cases in the database, most breeds ended up with 200 to 500 cases which was sufficient for statistical analyses where the impact of neutering was substantial.
A suggestion for those interested in a breed not covered in this study is to find a breed or two closest genetically to the breed of their interest in order to get an estimate of the various disease risks, if any, associated with neutering. However, one needs to bear in mind that even genetically related breeds may vary a great deal. An example is seen when comparing Golden and Labrador Retrievers, using the data from this study, where in the Labrador, there was no increase in cancer risk above that of intact dogs with neutering, but in the female Golden, the risk of a cancer with neutering increased to 2–4 times that of the 5 percent level of intact females. The popular Poodle breed provides another example, where there are three major varieties in size, the Standard, Miniature, and Toy. In the Standard, neutering males at 1 year was associated with a highly significant increase in the risk of a cancer (mainly LSA) to over six times that of intact males, whereas in the Miniature, there was no increase in cancers with neutering but a significant increase in joint disorders (mainly CCL) with neutering at 6-11 mo.
A likely mechanism by which early neutering may lead to a joint disorder is related to disturbance of the closure of the long-bone growth plates by gonadal hormone secretion as the animal approaches maturity (19, 20). We have proposed that neutering much before the closure of growth plates allows the long bones to grow a little longer than normal, and may sufficiently disturb joint alignments in some neutered dogs to lead to a clinically-apparent joint disorder.
Given the frequency with which early neutering is performed in dogs, it seems surprising that osteoporosis has not been examined given that in humans, chronic loss of gonadal hormones is associated with osteoporosis (21). It could be that the wolf ancestor of the dog had one breeding season and that the bone structure of mature dogs was not as affected by seasonal fluctuations of gonadal hormones as with a permanent gonadal hormonal loss in humans.
One of the frequently mentioned advantages of early neutering of female dogs is protection against MC (22). There may be important genetic, breed-line differences in the occurrence of MC that are not portrayed in our database. However, relevant to the discussion of MC is the recent meta-analysis of published studies on neutering females and MC, finding that the evidence linking neutering to a reduced risk of MC is weak (23). In the data gathered in this study, through 11 years of age, the occurrence of MC in females left intact was rarely above 6 percent and frequently 2 percent or less. For those neutered at <6 months, there was, as expected, no occurrence of MC. Obviously with most cases of intact females not followed through 11 years, and with the 12-year cut-off for those that were followed, many occurrences of MC were missed. However, it seems reasonable, that if MC was a common occurrence in intact females that this disease would have been more frequent in the intact females followed. Further, a very late onset of MC would seem less disturbing to pet owners than the much earlier onsets of joint diseases and other cancers.
For males, there is some concern that neutering beyond puberty will increase the likelihood of a problem behavior such as aggression. However, studies show that while neutering males can reduce aggression to people or other dogs in about 25 percent of males, neutering prior to puberty is no more effective in preventing this problem than is neutering in adulthood in resolving the problem (24, 25).
This paper deals primarily with the risks of diseases that are seen within a given breed and sex. Comparisons between breeds are difficult to interpret, in part because of differences in developmental and physiological factors between breeds including those between smaller and larger breeds. In the text we have reported the occurrences of various diseases in percentages but in statistical analyses the actual data are used. When disease incidence is particularly low in one or more neutering subgroups, the ability to detect significant differences will be low, but there still could be differences which may or may not have been evident in the statistical analyses.
There are at least two major limitations to this study. First, relatively few breeds are covered compared to those included in the various breed registries of kennel clubs and canine organizations. This limitation was necessary so as to apply the same diagnostic criteria for diseases covered across all breeds, using the same database, and the necessity of having sufficient cases for analyses. Second, no information is available as to the reasons the owners or others chose to neuter, or not to neuter their dogs. In California, the vast majority of dogs are neutered, and since 2005 it is legally required for dogs to be neutered prior to adoption from an animal shelter or humane society (26); many breeders impose the same requirement.
In conclusion, the data presented should provide to veterinarians and interested puppy caregivers data-based information for the best age for neutering to avoid increasing the risk of joint disorders and some cancers beyond that of leaving the dog intact. Readers can note that an elevated risk for a joint disorder or cancer occurs in relatively few of these breeds. In other words, with most breeds or sexes, neutering can apparently be done without referral to a particular age, at least with regard to the joint disorders or cancers covered in this study. Of course, individual factors must be taken into account. For puppies of mixed breed, another paper that is currently in press provides data-based information dealing with age of neutering and the risk of one or more joint disorders as a function of the dog adult weight category (27). This information can also help inform decisions on age of recommended neuter in purebred dogs where the breed is not covered in our data.
Data Availability Statement
The datasets presented in this study can be found in online repositories. The names of the repository/repositories and accession number(s) can be found below: (Figshare, doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7231010).
Author Contributions
BH, LH, and AT: conceived and designed study, collected and complied, and analyzed data. NW: statistical analyses. BH, LH, AT, and NW: drafted and edited manuscript. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.
Funding
Supported by the Canine Health Foundation (#01488-A), the Center for Companion Animal Health, University of California, Davis (# 2009-54-F/M), and Versatility in Poodles.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Acknowledgments
We wish to acknowledge the assistance of the following individuals in collecting the data: Siobhan Aamoth, Cristina Bustamante, Valerie Caceres, Rhoda Coscetti, Madeline Courville, Elvira Covarrubias, Aaron Frankel, Matthis Grupe, Vanessa Hsieh, Mi Hwangbo, Katrina Larkin, Arielle Merlos, Emily Parker, Roger Pender, Venus Pun, Emily Romanko, Sara Sewell, Sandra Walther, and Lexy Wetzel.
Supplementary Material
The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00388/full#supplementary-material
References
1. Trevejo R, Yang M, Lund EM. Epidemiology of surgical castration of dogs and cats in the United States. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (2011) 238:898–904. doi: 10.2460/javma.238.7.898 PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
2. Witsberger TH, Villamil JA, Schultz LG, Hahn AW, Cook JL. Prevalence of, and risk factors for, hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament deficiency in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (2008) 232:1818–24. doi: 10.2460/javma.232.12.1818 PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
3. Duval JM, Budsber SC, Flo GL, Sammarco Jl. Breed, sex, and body weight as risk factors for rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament in young dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (1999) 215:811–4 PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar
4. Dorn M, Seath IJ. Neuter status as a risk factor for canine intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) in dachsunds: a retrospective cohort study. Canine Genet Epidemiol. (2018) 5:11. doi: 10.1186/s40575-018-0067-7 PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
5. Villamil JR, Henry CJ, Hahn AW, Bryan JN, Tyler JW, Caldwell CW. Hormonal and sex impact on the epidemiology of canine lymphoma. J Cancer Epidemiol. (2009) 2009:591753. doi: 10.1155/2009/591753 PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
6. White CR, Hohenhaus A, Kelsey J, Procter-Gray E. Cutaneous MCTs: associations with spay/neuter status, breed, body size, and phylogenetic cluster. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. (2011) 47:210–6. doi: 10.5326/JAAHA-MS-5621 PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
7. Prymak C, McKee LJ, Goldschmidt MH, Glickman LT. Epidemiologic, clinical, pathologic, and prognostic characteristics of splenic hemangiosarcoma and splenic hematoma in dogs: 217 cases. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (1985) 193:706–12. PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar
8. Hoffman JM, Creevy KE, Promislow DEL. Reproductive capability is associated with lifespan and cause of death in companion dogs. PLoS ONE. (2013) 8:e61082. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061082 PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
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Keywords: elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate tear, lymphoma, mast cell tumor, hemangiosarcoma, osteosarcoma
Citation: Hart BL, Hart LA, Thigpen AP and Willits NH (2020) Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering for 35 Breeds of Dogs: Associated Joint Disorders, Cancers, and Urinary Incontinence. Front. Vet. Sci. 7:388. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00388
Received: 02 April 2020; Accepted: 01 June 2020;
Published: 07 July 2020.
Edited by: Natali Krekeler, The University of Melbourne, Australia
Reviewed by: Ottmar Distl, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany, Andreas Pospischil, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Copyright © 2020 Hart, Hart, Thigpen and Willits. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Benjamin L. Hart, blhart@ucdavis.edu
The breed-by-breed findings are presented in four different formats. One format, seen in this section below, is a short paragraph for each breed. The occurrence of the joint disorders and the cancers followed is reported for the intact and neutered dogs, and the increase in the two disease types over that of the intact dogs, if significant, is reported. Other findings are also mentioned if appropriate, such as IDD occurrence in Dachshunds and Corgis. A second format, represented in Table 1, is a very brief summary of spaying and neutering guidelines based on findings regarding joint disorders and cancers for each breed, allowing the reader to quickly scroll through the various breeds. In the third format, the data-based findings, with statistical notations for each breed, are reported in Appendix 1. In the fourth format, the raw data allowing the reader to perform their own calculations, if desirable, is available in Figshare.
The mean age of last entry was calculated for intact and neutered males and females for each breed and presented in Appendix 2. Across all breeds the mean age of last entry in the record for neutered males was 5.5 years (range 3.71–6.54), for neutered females 5.7 years (range 4.21–6.97), for intact males 4.9 (range 4.15–7.11), and intact females 4.7 (range 3.41–6.32). Upon perusal of the data, it is evident that the mean age of data entry for intact dogs was younger than that of neutered dogs, especially for females, where there is disparity of almost 1 year. To address the issue of whether the lower age of last entry for intact dogs could have resulted in a lower rate of disease occurrence in intact dogs in either joint disorders or cancers, we examined data of dogs where the last entry was at 8 years or beyond. We looked at three breeds with the largest databases (Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and German Shepherd Dogs) and where there were significant differences in disease diagnoses between early neutered and intact dogs. Using these parameters, the occurrences of joint disorders in Golden Retrievers for those neutered at ≤ 6mo. vs. intact, in males, there was a 6-fold difference (18% vs. 3%) and in females 3-fold (25 vs. 8%). For male Labrador Retrievers, the figures were 22 vs. 8% and in females 33 vs. 10%. For male German Shepherd Dogs, the figures were 33 vs. 2% and for females, 29 vs. 9%. For cancers in female Goldens, the figures were 26 vs. 14%. The incidence figures, although not sufficient for meaningful statistical analyses, are consistent with the larger database where all ages are included. Thus, while the age of the last visit is a limitation for analyses on late-occurring cancers and joint disorders, the examples chosen for dogs seen at the age of 8 years or beyond are consistent with the overall results presented here; these results appear to represent what would be seen in the general situation.
General Findings
Looking at the occurrences of these joint disorders and cancers, it is clear that most breeds are unaffected for these diseases by age of neutering. Vulnerability to joint disorders associated with neutering is generally related to body size. Small-dog breeds – Boston Terrier, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Corgi, Dachshund, Maltese, Pomeranian, Poodle-Toy, Pug, Shih Tzu, Yorkshire Terrier – do not appear to have an increased risk in joint disorders with neutering compared to the breeds of larger size. However, in the breeds of larger body size there were differences among the breeds with the two giant breeds – Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds – showing no indication of increase in one or more joint disorders with neutering at any age.
Although the occurrence of MC was tracked, the female mean age at the last hospital visit for all breeds ended short of the reported, late-onset mean age of MC occurrence in intact female dogs. Thus, the low occurrence of MC in intact females (typically under 6 percent) cannot be expected to represent the actual incidence over a female's lifetime. When the percentage of MC was calculated for only those dogs seen through 8 years of age or older (including cases diagnosed past the 12th birthday), the results did not appear appreciably different than the percentages seen using the study age range. However, the number of dogs seen through age 8 or beyond was fairly small, so the analysis results might change with an increased sample size of these older dogs.
The following are brief summaries for each of the breeds along with suggested guidelines for age of neutering. See Appendix 1 for the complete data set, including statistical analyses for each breed.
...
Poodle, Standard
The study population was 47 intact males, 88 neutered males, 53 intact females, and 87 spayed females for a total sample of 275 cases. The AKC registers the Toy and Miniature, along with the Standard Poodle, as all being Poodles. However, because of differences in size, the varieties of Poodles are dealt with separately here. There was a 2 percent occurrence of joint disorders in both intact males and females. In males neutered at <6 mo., there was a non-significant increase to 8 percent, and in spayed females, there was no occurrence of joint disorders. The occurrences of cancers in intact males and females were 4 and 2 percent, respectively. In males neutered at 1 year of age, the occurrence of one or more cancers rose to a significant 27 percent (p <0.01), all due to the increased risk of LSA. In females, there was no significant increase in cancers with spaying. There was a 4 percent occurrence of MC, and a 2 percent occurrence of PYO in the females left intact. Just one female spayed beyond 2 years later developed UI. The suggested guideline for males, based on the occurrence of one or more cancers with neutering at 1 year, is to delay neutering until 2 years of age. Lacking a noticeable occurrence of increased joint disorders or cancers in neutered females, those wishing to neuter should decide on the appropriate age.
...
Discussion
Since the reporting from this center of increased risks of joint disorders and some cancers in Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and German Shepherd Dogs (11–13), the appropriate age of neutering has become a common point of discussion (16–18). With the evidence-based information on the risks, if any, of joint disorders, cancers, PYO and UI associated with neutering at different ages for males and females of various as dog breeds, dog owners, and their veterinarians, can use this information to select an age for neutering for the long-term health of their companion dogs on a case-by-case basis.
The overall major finding from the present study is that there are breed differences – and sometimes sex differences – with regard to the increased risks of joint disorders and cancers associated with neutering at various ages. For example, with the Boston Terrier, neutering females at the standard 6 month age did not increase the risks of joint disorders or cancers over that of dogs left intact, but with males, neutering before a year of age was associated with a significant increase in cancers. The opposite effect with genders was seen in the Cocker Spaniel where neutering at 6 months was not associated with an increase in joint disorders or cancers in males, but in females there was a significant increase in risk of cancers to 17 percent with neutering before 2 years.
Another important finding that holds across several breeds is that with the small-dog breeds – Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Corgi, Dachshund, Maltese, Pomeranian, Poodle-Toy, Pug, Shih Tzu, Yorkshire Terrier –the occurrences of joint disorders were close to zero in both the intact and neutered males and females. In these small-dog breeds, the occurrence of cancers was low in both those kept intact and neutered. Two exceptions were the Boston Terrier and Shih Tzu where there was there a significant increase in cancers with neutering.
As noted in the results section, the mean date of last entry per patient in the hospital record ranged from about 4.5 to 5.5 years, which means the data especially represent rather early-occurring joint disorders and cancers. The perspective taken here is that it is the early occurring joint disorders and cancers that are the most impactful on the human caregivers, both emotionally and financially, as well as their dogs. To just delay neutering by a year or so to lower the risk of a joint disorder or cancer in those breeds where the issue is relevant, is a noteworthy goal, making it worthwhile to discuss appropriate ages to neuter with caregivers who have a new puppy.
A suggested guideline for the use of the data presented here for those who may wish to focus on a breed or two, is to first scroll through Table 1 to peruse the breeds for a brief look at the neutering guidelines for the breeds of interest. The next step could be to refer to summary paragraphs in the Results section, which present the major findings with a suggested guideline for neutering age. Then for a third step, one could turn to Appendix 1 for detailed joint disorder and cancer tabular data as well as data on MC, PYO, and UI. Our intention is to offer readers data-based information to make case-by-case decisions about age of neutering. As is clearly evident in the breed-specific data presented, one cannot make a generalization for all dogs about age of neutering guidelines.
As mentioned, this study involved 35 breeds, counting the three varieties of Poodles as three breeds. Thus, most breeds registered by AKC or other comparable agencies were not covered. The breeds chosen were the most popular, and with the largest dataset in our records, or were included to sample the largest range of breed sizes as was feasible. Hence, some of the largest breeds (e.g., Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound) and smallest breeds (Miniature Schnauzer, West Highland White Terrier) were included despite lower numbers of patient records. While with some of the most popular breeds there were over 1,000 cases in the database, most breeds ended up with 200 to 500 cases which was sufficient for statistical analyses where the impact of neutering was substantial.
A suggestion for those interested in a breed not covered in this study is to find a breed or two closest genetically to the breed of their interest in order to get an estimate of the various disease risks, if any, associated with neutering. However, one needs to bear in mind that even genetically related breeds may vary a great deal. An example is seen when comparing Golden and Labrador Retrievers, using the data from this study, where in the Labrador, there was no increase in cancer risk above that of intact dogs with neutering, but in the female Golden, the risk of a cancer with neutering increased to 2–4 times that of the 5 percent level of intact females. The popular Poodle breed provides another example, where there are three major varieties in size, the Standard, Miniature, and Toy. In the Standard, neutering males at 1 year was associated with a highly significant increase in the risk of a cancer (mainly LSA) to over six times that of intact males, whereas in the Miniature, there was no increase in cancers with neutering but a significant increase in joint disorders (mainly CCL) with neutering at 6-11 mo.
A likely mechanism by which early neutering may lead to a joint disorder is related to disturbance of the closure of the long-bone growth plates by gonadal hormone secretion as the animal approaches maturity (19, 20). We have proposed that neutering much before the closure of growth plates allows the long bones to grow a little longer than normal, and may sufficiently disturb joint alignments in some neutered dogs to lead to a clinically-apparent joint disorder.
Given the frequency with which early neutering is performed in dogs, it seems surprising that osteoporosis has not been examined given that in humans, chronic loss of gonadal hormones is associated with osteoporosis (21). It could be that the wolf ancestor of the dog had one breeding season and that the bone structure of mature dogs was not as affected by seasonal fluctuations of gonadal hormones as with a permanent gonadal hormonal loss in humans.
One of the frequently mentioned advantages of early neutering of female dogs is protection against MC (22). There may be important genetic, breed-line differences in the occurrence of MC that are not portrayed in our database. However, relevant to the discussion of MC is the recent meta-analysis of published studies on neutering females and MC, finding that the evidence linking neutering to a reduced risk of MC is weak (23). In the data gathered in this study, through 11 years of age, the occurrence of MC in females left intact was rarely above 6 percent and frequently 2 percent or less. For those neutered at <6 months, there was, as expected, no occurrence of MC. Obviously with most cases of intact females not followed through 11 years, and with the 12-year cut-off for those that were followed, many occurrences of MC were missed. However, it seems reasonable, that if MC was a common occurrence in intact females that this disease would have been more frequent in the intact females followed. Further, a very late onset of MC would seem less disturbing to pet owners than the much earlier onsets of joint diseases and other cancers.
For males, there is some concern that neutering beyond puberty will increase the likelihood of a problem behavior such as aggression. However, studies show that while neutering males can reduce aggression to people or other dogs in about 25 percent of males, neutering prior to puberty is no more effective in preventing this problem than is neutering in adulthood in resolving the problem (24, 25).
This paper deals primarily with the risks of diseases that are seen within a given breed and sex. Comparisons between breeds are difficult to interpret, in part because of differences in developmental and physiological factors between breeds including those between smaller and larger breeds. In the text we have reported the occurrences of various diseases in percentages but in statistical analyses the actual data are used. When disease incidence is particularly low in one or more neutering subgroups, the ability to detect significant differences will be low, but there still could be differences which may or may not have been evident in the statistical analyses.
There are at least two major limitations to this study. First, relatively few breeds are covered compared to those included in the various breed registries of kennel clubs and canine organizations. This limitation was necessary so as to apply the same diagnostic criteria for diseases covered across all breeds, using the same database, and the necessity of having sufficient cases for analyses. Second, no information is available as to the reasons the owners or others chose to neuter, or not to neuter their dogs. In California, the vast majority of dogs are neutered, and since 2005 it is legally required for dogs to be neutered prior to adoption from an animal shelter or humane society (26); many breeders impose the same requirement.
In conclusion, the data presented should provide to veterinarians and interested puppy caregivers data-based information for the best age for neutering to avoid increasing the risk of joint disorders and some cancers beyond that of leaving the dog intact. Readers can note that an elevated risk for a joint disorder or cancer occurs in relatively few of these breeds. In other words, with most breeds or sexes, neutering can apparently be done without referral to a particular age, at least with regard to the joint disorders or cancers covered in this study. Of course, individual factors must be taken into account. For puppies of mixed breed, another paper that is currently in press provides data-based information dealing with age of neutering and the risk of one or more joint disorders as a function of the dog adult weight category (27). This information can also help inform decisions on age of recommended neuter in purebred dogs where the breed is not covered in our data.
Data Availability Statement
The datasets presented in this study can be found in online repositories. The names of the repository/repositories and accession number(s) can be found below: (Figshare, doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7231010).
Author Contributions
BH, LH, and AT: conceived and designed study, collected and complied, and analyzed data. NW: statistical analyses. BH, LH, AT, and NW: drafted and edited manuscript. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.
Funding
Supported by the Canine Health Foundation (#01488-A), the Center for Companion Animal Health, University of California, Davis (# 2009-54-F/M), and Versatility in Poodles.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Acknowledgments
We wish to acknowledge the assistance of the following individuals in collecting the data: Siobhan Aamoth, Cristina Bustamante, Valerie Caceres, Rhoda Coscetti, Madeline Courville, Elvira Covarrubias, Aaron Frankel, Matthis Grupe, Vanessa Hsieh, Mi Hwangbo, Katrina Larkin, Arielle Merlos, Emily Parker, Roger Pender, Venus Pun, Emily Romanko, Sara Sewell, Sandra Walther, and Lexy Wetzel.
Supplementary Material
The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00388/full#supplementary-material
References
1. Trevejo R, Yang M, Lund EM. Epidemiology of surgical castration of dogs and cats in the United States. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (2011) 238:898–904. doi: 10.2460/javma.238.7.898 PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
2. Witsberger TH, Villamil JA, Schultz LG, Hahn AW, Cook JL. Prevalence of, and risk factors for, hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament deficiency in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (2008) 232:1818–24. doi: 10.2460/javma.232.12.1818 PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
3. Duval JM, Budsber SC, Flo GL, Sammarco Jl. Breed, sex, and body weight as risk factors for rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament in young dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (1999) 215:811–4 PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar
4. Dorn M, Seath IJ. Neuter status as a risk factor for canine intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) in dachsunds: a retrospective cohort study. Canine Genet Epidemiol. (2018) 5:11. doi: 10.1186/s40575-018-0067-7 PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
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6. White CR, Hohenhaus A, Kelsey J, Procter-Gray E. Cutaneous MCTs: associations with spay/neuter status, breed, body size, and phylogenetic cluster. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. (2011) 47:210–6. doi: 10.5326/JAAHA-MS-5621 PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
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Keywords: elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate tear, lymphoma, mast cell tumor, hemangiosarcoma, osteosarcoma
Citation: Hart BL, Hart LA, Thigpen AP and Willits NH (2020) Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering for 35 Breeds of Dogs: Associated Joint Disorders, Cancers, and Urinary Incontinence. Front. Vet. Sci. 7:388. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00388
Received: 02 April 2020; Accepted: 01 June 2020;
Published: 07 July 2020.
Edited by: Natali Krekeler, The University of Melbourne, Australia
Reviewed by: Ottmar Distl, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany, Andreas Pospischil, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Copyright © 2020 Hart, Hart, Thigpen and Willits. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Benjamin L. Hart, blhart@ucdavis.edu
OUR LUXE PUFF PUPPIES
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Because our Puppies and Dogs are ROYAL Standard Poodles - they need extra nutrition, extra protein, extra fat and extra calories to accommodate and provide them nourishment for all that growing they have to do!
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Our LUXE Puff Puppies start on their mothers milk, and then when ready to start eating solid food they transition to a soft warm goats milk and Dog food kibble porridge. Once they are done nursing our Puppies eat a "meat and kibble stew" that we prepare ALL of our LUXE Puff Dogs and Puppies every morning.
This stew now consists of two pounds of NON GMO grass fed Montana raised beef, ORGANIC NON GMO hemp seed powder and NON GMO VICTOR HI PRO PLUS dog food kibble with 30% protein and 20% fat. They love their special morning meal and wait expectantly while we prepare it. As special yummy healthy treats, our adult dogs each get a handful of raw grass fed organ meat (kidney, liver or heart) every day and meat bones to chew on!
We firmly believe that the HIGH PROTEIN, ORGANIC and NON GMO DIET- is the healthiest possible diet we can feed them and that the extra time and care we take each and every day for their nutritional and emotional needs - contributes to their beautiful coats, their overall health and well being and of course, their wonderful and loving temperaments!
Because our Puppies and Dogs are ROYAL Standard Poodles - they need extra nutrition, extra protein, extra fat and extra calories to accommodate and provide them nourishment for all that growing they have to do!
We feed our LUXE Puff adult dogs and our LUXE Puff Puppies "Victor Hi Pro Plus" and Victor Multi Pro” Dog foods which are GMO FREE, corn free, soy free and gluten free and has 30 % protein and 20% fat. This is freely available to them - at all times of the day - along with fresh water.
Our LUXE Puff Puppies start on their mothers milk, and then when ready to start eating solid food they transition to a soft warm goats milk and Dog food kibble porridge. Once they are done nursing our Puppies eat a "meat and kibble stew" that we prepare ALL of our LUXE Puff Dogs and Puppies every morning.
This stew now consists of two pounds of NON GMO grass fed Montana raised beef, ORGANIC NON GMO hemp seed powder and NON GMO VICTOR HI PRO PLUS dog food kibble with 30% protein and 20% fat. They love their special morning meal and wait expectantly while we prepare it. As special yummy healthy treats, our adult dogs each get a handful of raw grass fed organ meat (kidney, liver or heart) every day and meat bones to chew on!
We firmly believe that the HIGH PROTEIN, ORGANIC and NON GMO DIET- is the healthiest possible diet we can feed them and that the extra time and care we take each and every day for their nutritional and emotional needs - contributes to their beautiful coats, their overall health and well being and of course, their wonderful and loving temperaments!
ROCKY MOUNTAIN
LUXE PUFF POODLES
(406) 224 - 2177
LUXE PUFF POODLES
(406) 224 - 2177
